Sports Briefs

CYCLING

U.S. investigators move forward in Armstrong case

LOS ANGELES | Undeterred by the slap on the wrist a jury gave Barry Bonds, U.S. investigators are forging ahead in a separate drug-related case against another superstar athlete Lance Armstrong.

In France, where Armstrong became famous by winning the Tour de France seven straight times, officials received a request from U.S. authorities last month for help gathering evidence about the cyclist and other members of his former U.S. Postal team.

The move indicates federal authorities are looking to bolster their case against Armstrong so they can give a grand jury in Los Angeles the fullest account possible of the cyclist’s actions before deciding whether Armstrong, like Bonds, also should face criminal charges related to using performance-enhancing drugs.

TENNIS

Peer, Oudin lead field for WTA event in College Park

Top-15 player Shahar Peer and 2009 U.S. Open sensation Melanie Oudin headline the early entries for a new tennis tournament coming to the Washington area this summer.

The Mid-Atlantic Women’s Tennis Championships will run July 23-31 at The Tennis Center at College Park, which features a 2,500-seat stadium court. The tournament will have a 32-player singles draw and 16-team doubles draw, with $220,000 in prize money.

Tickets went on sale Tuesday. Call 202-721-9500 for more information.

SOCCER

Six FIFA executives accused of accepting bribes

LONDON | Soccer’s governing body was hit with new corruption allegations Tuesday when six FIFA executive committee members were accused of receiving or demanding bribes during bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Issa Hayatou of Cameroon and Jacques Anouma of the Ivory Coast were allegedly paid $1.5 million to vote for Qatar, according to evidence submitted to a British parliamentary inquiry by the Sunday Times newspaper. The Gulf nation beat the United States in the final round of voting in December for the 2022 tournament.

BASKETBALL

Bynum to sit first five games next season for flagrant foul

NEW YORK | Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum was suspended for the first five games of next season for his flagrant foul on Dallas Mavericks guard J.J. Barea, the NBA said Tuesday.

Bynum was ejected for elbowing Barea while the guard was in midair with 8:21 left in Sunday’s Game 4 in Dallas, where the Lakers were routed 122-86 and swept from the playoffs.

Bynum also was fined $25,000 for removing his jersey as he exited the court. Bynum issued a public apology earlier Tuesday at the Lakers’ training base in El Segundo, Calif.

CYCLING

Team withdraws after fatality in Italian race

LIVORNO, ITALY | The teammates of Wouter Weylandt crossed the finish line side by side and with arms linked at the Giro d’Italia on Tuesday, honoring the cyclist who died in a crash a day earlier.

After a somber day of ceremonial riding, Weylandt’s Leopard-Trek team withdrew from the race, one of pro cycling’s three major tours.

“We simply cannot continue racing given the circumstances,” said Fabian Wegmann, captain of the Luxembourg-based team. “We are professional athletes, but we feel this is the right thing to do.”

FOOTBALL

Ravens rookie Kindle pleads guilty to DWI charge

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. | Baltimore Ravens rookie linebacker Sergio Kindle has pleaded guilty to a drunken driving charge and avoided jail time. Kindle apologized Tuesday in Howard County District Court. Kindle was pulled over in December in Savage and cited for driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding.

From wire dispatches and staff reports